Biological control of plant diseases – What has been achieved and what is the direction?

Abstract The global sustainability agenda is increasing the demand for reduction in inputs into agricultural production while maintaining profitable yield of quality products. Plant diseases are a major constraint for both yield and product quality, but often tools for their control are ineffective or lacking. Biological control using antagonistic microorganisms has long been a subject of research resulting in a wide range of products that are now available and marketed in specific territories around the world. These preparations are often niche products with narrow uses. The research effort is intense both to develop new biological control agents (BCAs) and to obtain knowledge of the mechanisms underlying…

• GO
  Government of the United Kingdom
• DF
  Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, UK Government
• BS
  British Society for Plant Pathology